Quick Look Books: Thrillers (March 2019)

Thrillers. Easily one of my new favorite genres.

For a long time, though, I wouldn’t touch them. Although I love me some supernatural thrillers, I had no interest whatsoever in suspense, mystery, or “whodunits.”

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I haven’t always been so great at picking books to read. I was an English major, so I’ve read a lot of novels. I eagerly devoured whatever titles were assigned for AP English and Lit back in high school, and I swooned with enthusiasm once I hit college and discovered I could take only English courses that would allow me to read All The Books.

However, when it came to non-assigned reading, I often hit a stumbling block. I never knew what books would appeal to me! I often judged a book by its cover and synopsis (and still do), but I found I was either over or underwhelmed by my bookstore choices, and therefore couldn’t decide what to read “for fun.”

Eventually, I hit my stride, discovering I liked historical fiction, women’s fiction, and some contemporary stories, but I refused to try any new genres after I supposedly found my niche. Then, I stumbled upon Goodreads, and when a friend invited me to join her Facebook book discussion group, my whole reading world opened up. Recommendations and suggestions abounded, and I found myself itching to try all these new titles I was hearing about, even if they didn’t fall into my predisposed preferred genre of books.

Enter my initial dalliance, then full-fledged love affair with thrillers. I love the suspense they bring to every plot line, the complex characters that I become obsessed with trying to figure out, and the flat out, crazy-ass scenarios that pop up in so many stories. I still love to escape into a good food-based fiction or chick lit novel, but I now eagerly look forward to discovering which new thriller will shake up my reading world next.

With that in mind, I bring you my Quick Look Books recommendations for March 2019:

1. Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger. This book is how I first dipped my toes tentatively into the thriller wading pool. I initially picked it up because it seemed like a supernatural novel — and I was surprised to find a true crime mystery nestled into the heart of the story. Ink and Bone turned out to be the perfect introductory suspense thriller for me; it combined lots of ghosts and medium tendencies with crime-solving, creepy mystery. The characters, particularly the main one (Finley), are completely engaging, and I became involved with their individual stories, as well as how they are all intertwined. Unger is a great writer, and I’ve read several other of her books, which I’ve also really enjoyed. Ink and Bone remains my favorite, though.

2. Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. This is an amazing thriller, though much grittier and more intense than I thought it would be. The book’s synopsis does not do it justice; the story is harsh, honest, and very disturbing, but completely engrossing. I also really liked the way Meloy makes the story unfold from two narratives, the victims’ and those waiting for the victims to return. I feel like you usually see only the latter in missing children stories, so I thought this format was pretty original. If you’re looking for something a little more sinister, crack open Do Not Become Alarmed. However, if you’re an anxious parent, you should NOT read this book. It pretty much covers every “parent’s worst nightmare” scenario you could think of. You’ve been warned.

3. The English Wife by Lauren Willig. This thriller was a little slow to start, but once I got to the end of the first chapter, I couldn’t put The English Wife down. This is suspense at its best, with tons of secrets and plot twists that I didn’t see coming at all; the story kept me guessing until the very end. It’s also quite emotional, as it depicts an honest portrayal of how limited one’s life choices could be, well, up until relatively recently. The novel is set in the Gilded Age, which I think serves as a crafty allusion to being trapped inside a gilded cage. And, speaking of allusions, fellow English major geeks will appreciate the many literary allusions found throughout the novel. This is a great book if you’re looking for a blend of thriller and historical fiction.

4. Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Even if you haven’t read this book, you’ve surely heard of it, thanks to its Netflix movie adaptation that released in December 2018. You’ve heard me mention Bird Box in passing before, but I figured it was time to honor this excellent thriller with a few more words of praise. I had picked up this book hoping for something supernatural and ended up getting something entirely different…and so much more. I read this entire book in one day. It’s one of the most unique, exhilirating, visionary, and utterly terrifying books I have ever encountered. I know there are a lot of naysayers out there, but, honestly, I think Bird Box is brilliant and that Josh Malerman’s a freakin’ genius. READ IT.

Full disclosure: I haven’t watched the movie yet. I’m curious about it (especially since it has a great cast), but I’m a little scared that the movie won’t live up to the book, because, well, hardly any movie ever does. So, just know that my recommendation for Bird Box is based solely on the book.

5. Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott. I’m throwing you a curveball, and yes, you read that correctly. Louisa May Alcott. America’s sweetheart author of the beloved classic, Little Women. Much like Jo March, before Alcott made it big with her famous novel, she wrote sensational thrillers to pay the bills. I discovered Behind a Mask sitting on a college bookstore shelf for a class that I wasn’t taking…but, I was so intrigued that I bought it on the spot. I love Little Women as much as the next English major, but I gotta say — Alcott’s thrillers are fantastic. Unfortunately, most people don’t know she wrote much besides the March sisters. Do yourself a favor and broaden your literary horizons by reading these four short stories filled with intrigue, deception, murder, and Gothic flare. Bonus: you’ll leave ’em a bit gobsmacked the next time someone talks about Little Women and you can break in with, “Yes, that’s great, but have you read her thrillers?”

Did any of your favorite thrillers make this list? Let me know in the comments below!